Clearwire recently released results of its LTE trial network in Phoenix, showing that the test network achieved speeds approaching 100Mbps. That's ridiculously fast compared to the current speeds of between 3 and 6Mbps on most commercial networks. Even taking into consideration that this was a test network without any sort of user load, it's impressive. Verizon's LTE network is expected to sustain speeds of between 8-12 Mbps by comparison.

This is interesting because Clearwire's initial buildout was WiMax, a competing technology. Clearwire's stance, as stated in the article, is pretty clear though; Clearwire is "technology agnostic."

Worth rehashing here with more detail is the increased promise of wireless broadband. Speed is increasing exponentially each time an advance in technology is made, and the practical application of that speed is being realized daily. Today's smartphones are so much more than handsets for voice calls. Between them and mobile hotspots, each consumer can have their own bubble of high speed internet. With the technology to share that bubble with numerous devices, the emphasis in mobile internet becomes a reality.

Clearwire wants to provide coverage for 120 million people in the U.S. this year, and includes some big names as resellers of its services. With examples like this test network showing what the technology is capable of, I think it's a safe bet that we'll see similar advances across broadband carriers.

What would YOU do with 90Mbps download speeds on your mobile device? Hit us up in the comments.

Jason is a systems administrator living in Seattle. When he's not up to his elbows in a server, he's up to his elbows in the latest electronics or technology news, or trying out languages like Dart and Ruby.